"Answer me first, whether or not the good Ambrose told you of joys-of pleasures, derived from the object you trifled with, and whether he pointed out any means by which such delights could be indulged without sin?"
"Of course he did-he said that in certain cases such indulgence became a merit. " "As in marriage, for instance, I suppose. " "He said nothing about that, except that marriage often brought much misery, and that even marriage vows might, under certain circumstances, be broken advantageously. " Bella smiled. She recollected to have heard somewhat the same strain of reasoning from the same sensual lips. "Under what circumstances did he mean then that these joys were permitted?"
"Only when the mind was firmly set upon a good motive, beyond the actual indulgence itself, and that, he says, can only he, when some young girl, selected from others for the qualities of her mind, is dedicated to the relief of the servants of religion. " "I see, " said Bella, "go on. " "Then he said how good I was, and how meritorious it would be for me to exercise the privilege he endowed me with, and devote myself to the sensuous relief of himself and others, whose vows prevented them from either marrying or otherwise gratifying the feeling which nature has implanted in all men alike. But tell me, Bella, you have some news for me-I know you have. "
"Well, then, if I must-I must, I suppose. Know then, that good Father Ambrose has arranged that it will be best for you to be initiated at once, and he has provided for it here today. " "Oh, me! You don't say so! I shall be so ashamed, so dreadfully shy. "
"Oh, no, my dear, all that has been thought of. Only so good and considerate a man as our dear Confessor could have so perfectly arranged everything as he has done. It is designed that the dear man shall be able to enjoy all beauties your witching little self can afford him, while, to make a long matter short, he will neither see your face, nor you his. "
"You don't say so! In the dark, then, I suppose?" "By no means; that would be to forego all the pleasures of sight, and he would lose the rich treat of looking upon those delicious charms the dear man has set his heart upon possessing. "
"How you make me blush, Bella-but how, then, is it to be?"
"It will be quite light, " explained Bella, with the air of a mother to her child. "It 'will be in a nice little chamber we have; you will be laid upon a convenient couch, and your head will be passed through and concealed by a curtain, which so fills a door-way leading into an inner apartment that only your body, all naked to the view, will be exposed to your ardent assailant. " "Oh, for shame! Naked, too!" "Oh, Julia my dear, tender Julia, " murmured Bella, as a shudder of keen ecstatic feeling rushed through her, "what delights will be yours; how you will awake to the delicious joys of immortals, and find now that you are approaching that period called puberty, the solaces of which I know you already stand in need of. " "Oh, don't Bella, pray, don't say that. " "And when at length, " continued her companion, whose imagination had already led her into a reverie to which outward impressions were quite imperious, "when at length the struggle is over, the spasms arrive, and that great throbbing thing shoots out its viscid stream of maddening delight, oh! then she will join that rush of ecstasy, and give down her virgin exchange. " "What are you murmuring about?" Bella roused herself.
"I was thinking, " she said, dreamily, "of all the joys of which you were about to partake. "
"Oh, don't, " Julia exclaimed, "you make me blush, when you say such dreadful things. "
Then followed a further conversation, in which many small matters had their place, and while it was in progress I found an opportunity to overhear another dialogue, quite as interesting to me, but of which I shall only furnish the summary for my readers.
It took place in the library, and occurred between Mr. Delmont and Mr. Verbouc. They had evidently understood each other on the main points at issue, which incredible as they may appear, were the surrender of Bella's person to Mr. Delmont in consideration for a certain round sum to be then and there paid down, and afterwards invested for the benefit of "his dear niece, " by the indulgent Mr. Verbouc.
Knave and sensualist as the man was, he could not quite bring himself to the perpetration of so nefarious a transaction without some small sop to stay the conscience of even so unscrupulous a being as himself.
"Yes, " said the good and yielding uncle, "the interests of my niece are paramount, my dear sir. A marriage is not unlikely hereafter, but the small indulgence you demand is, I think, well compensated for between us, as men of the world, you understand, purely as men of the world, by a sum sufficient to reward her for the loss of so fragile a possession. "
Here he laughed, principally because his matter-of-fact and dull-witted guest failed to understand him.
Thus it was settled, and there remained only the preliminaries to arrange. Mr, Delmont was charmed, ravished out of his somewhat heavy and stolid indifference, when he was informed that the bargain was forthwith to be executed, and that he was to take possession of that delicious virginity he had so longed to destroy.
Meanwhile the good, dear, generous Father Ambrose had been some time in the house and had prepared the chamber where the sacrifice was to take place.
Here after a sumptuous breakfast, Mr. Delmont found himself with only a door between him and the victim of his lust.
Who that victim was, he had not the remotest idea. He only thought of Bella.
The next moment he had turned the lock and entered the chamber, the gentle warmth of which refreshed and stimulated the sensual instincts about to be called into play.
Ye Gods! What a sight burst upon his enraptured vision. Straight before him, reclining upon a couch, and utterly nude, was the body of a young girl. A glance sufficed to demonstrate the fact that it was beautiful, but it would have taken several minutes to go over in detail and discover all the separate merits of each delicious limb and member: The well-rounded limbs, childlike in their plump proportions; the delicate bosom just ripening into two of the choicest and whitest little hills of soft flesh; the roseate buds which tipped their summits; the blue veins which coursed and meandered here and there and showed through the pearly surface like little rivulets of sanguine fluid only to enhance the more the dazzling whiteness of the skin. And then, oh! then, the central spot of man's desire, the rosy close-shut lips where nature loves to revel, whence she springs and whither she returns-la source-it was there visible in its almost infantine perfection.
All indeed was there except-the head. That all-important member was conspicuous by its absence, and yet the gentle undulations of the fair maiden plainly evidenced that she suffered no inconvenience by its non-appearance.
Mr. Delmont exhibited no astonishment at this phenomenon. He had been prepared for it, and also enjoined to maintain the strictest silence. He therefore busied himself to observe and delight himself with such charms as were prepared for his enjoyment.